


Once the Seed is Planted

by Mass_Effecting_Your_Pants



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Genre: Character Study, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-07
Updated: 2013-03-07
Packaged: 2017-12-04 13:46:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/711417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mass_Effecting_Your_Pants/pseuds/Mass_Effecting_Your_Pants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You might remember Mekel, the least unlikeable of the Sith Hopefuls Revan meets on Korriban...well this is his story. Contains game dialogue from KotOR.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Once the Seed is Planted

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on fanfiction.net under the following:-
> 
> Title: Once the Seed is Planted  
> Category: Games » Star Wars  
> Author: Malak's Mistress  
> Language: English, Rating: Rated: T  
> Genre: General/Adventure  
> Published: 06-18-07, Updated: 06-18-07  
> Chapters: 1, Words: 6,745

* * *

**_Sixteen Years Ago – Planting the Dark Seed_ **

* * *

"Where are you, boy? Elena? Don't hide from me!"

I tremble under Mother's arm as Father's shout echoed throughout the house. I sob involuntarily, but Mother quickly slips her hand over my mouth.

"Shhh, sweetheart," she whispers as she strokes my hair. "We don't want Father to find us."

I shiver. It's cold in the basement, and dark, but it's a good hiding place for when Father comes home from the cantina of a night. He always gets drunk, but sometimes he comes back angry and violent as well. Like now. That's when we hide.

But I think he heard us run. I think he knows where we are.

I listen for Father's heavy footsteps but I can't hear anything over my thumping heart. Mother gasps as the door above us slams open, banging against the wall as a stream of bright light blinds us.

"Well, well. What are you doing down here in the dark?"

I can't see Father properly; the light spilling in behind him makes him look like a shadow. He has something in his hand, but even when I squint, I can't tell what it is.

"I come home, Elena, and there's no dinner on the table."

I…I'm sorry," Mother whispers. "I had to go to the market because-"

"I don't want to hear your excuses!" Father slurs, and I jump with each of his footfalls as he begins to descend the stairs to reach us.

I try to burrow in to the warmth of Mother but she is shaking and I can feel her heart beating fast through her chest. Father is yelling but I can't hear him, as Mother is whispering urgently in my ear, filling my senses.

"Sweetheart, when Father reaches us there'll be room for you to run around him and back up the stairs," she strokes my hair as she is talking and I nod my understanding. "I want you to run just like you do when we go to the park, you remember? As fast as you can."

I nod against her chest again, frightened and shivery.

"But don't you look back because that will slow you down, okay? And don't come back for anything."

Father stops at the foot of the steps and now I can see his face. His eyes are bloodshot and unfocused, and his expression is angry. My heart skips a beat as I stare in to his face, and my legs feel like they won't be able to carry me.

"Maybe I should show you what happens when there isn't food on the table," Father growls as he slowly walks toward us, and I feel Mother shrink beside me.

"Run!" she screams at me suddenly, and I jump to my feet without hesitation.

I dart around Father and I don't look back, like Mother told me. Father swings something at me and it slices in to my arm painfully, but I don't dare stop otherwise Mother will scold me later for not doing exactly what she said.

I run just like she told me to; like I do when we go to the park. I run until I can't run anymore and fall to the ground, unable to move.

I don't know how much time has passed when I finally gain the strength to stand, but I climb to my feet and stare up at the sky. It's pitch black still, only the few street lamps light my way back home. Mother would be angry at me for coming back like she said not to, but something didn't feel right.

When our house came in to sight, it seemed best to keep hidden and quiet, so I crept along the hedge to the basement window. Jimmying it open silently like Mother always did when we hid down there, I hauled myself over the pane and dropped on to the dusty floor of the basement. A tiny sliver of light from under the door was piercing the gloom, falling across a motionless bundle several feet away.

My stomach lurched.

It was Mother.

I knelt beside her, but my whole being told me she was gone. Father did this. Father tore Mother from this world, I thought, my mind clouding with anger and loss.

He had left something on the floor beside her body. A sword. The sword he had used to injure me and kill Mother.

It was in my hand and I was turning the knob of the basement door before I could stop myself, not that I wanted to. I could hear him watching a holovid, laughing at the actors' antics as though Mother didn't lie dead in the basement. I halt behind the chair Father sat in, not bothering to silence my footsteps, since he wouldn't have been able to hear them over the holo anyway. Listening and watching him act as though nothing had happened made me boil with anger.

I couldn't control myself. With strength I didn't possess naturally, I thrust the sword through the chair until I felt it exit Father's chest on the other side.

"Wha..?" he gurgled, and I circle around the chair to stand in front of him, my hate for him fogging my thinking, not caring that he will die in moments.

"That was for Mother," I watch with satisfaction as his eyes widen, bloodying his hands as he weakly tried to remove the blade killing him.

"Mekel…" he whispers feebly.

And I watch as he dies.

 

* * *

**_Three Days Ago - Strangers_ **

* * *

"Uh, hi there. Can I ask you some questions?"

I swivelled my gaze to face a trio I didn't recognise. They had spoken to one of the idiots I was 'testing' and now they were bothering me. Sith wannabes by the look of them, though something was off about them, but I couldn't place my finger on what exactly.

I took in their appearance before answering; a young woman about my age flanked by a rusty protocol droid and what I presumed to be a soldier of some sort, a bodyguard perhaps. The soldier was casting a suspiciously puzzled glance at the four morons who stood close by and the droid merely stood at attention, its red eyes flashing. The woman stood patiently in front of me, one hand on her hip while the other shaded her eyes from the harsh Korriban sun.

"No you may not. Can't you see I'm busy amusing myself, and I'm not going to miss any of the fun! Now get lost, before I teach you a lesson," I sneered at the woman, but a glint at her waist caught my eye. A lightsaber. Heh, a Jedi, no less.

The soldier glared at me and I sneered back, turning to watch the idiots being 'tested'.

"Are you one of the Sith from the Academy?"

My eyes snapped to the woman's, but she merely stared back. So she wasn't easily threatened. I sighed.

"Isn't that obvious? You must be very sharp to possess such an astute sense of perception," I smirked as an expression of irritation flittered across her face before she suppressed it. "Obviously deaf, however, since I asked you to leave."

"Are you Mekel?"

I narrowed my eyes at the Jedi. "And what if I am?"

"Why are you making those men stand there?" she jabbed her thumb in the direction of the four men and I laughed.

"Heh, those fools actually think that if they stand there long enough, I'll let them become Sith. Idiots," I added with disgust as my gaze swept over the try-hards. "A Sith is not a bantha, all endurance and no brains. A Sith would fight for his life, no matter the odds."

"So…this isn't a real test for them?" the woman stared at me, unable to hide her disgust.

"Oh, it's a test alright," I smirked. "It's a test to see if they're actually fool enough to die. If they don't, however, I certainly wouldn't admit them just for that accomplishment."

"Oh what a sweet guy," the soldier muttered as he glared at me. "He should get the Sith Congeniality Medal."

"Carth!" the Jedi hissed.

"Hey!" I said angrily. "If these guys are as stupid as they seem, then they deserve their fate!"

"Query: Why not just shoot them where they stand?" I stared at the droid in quiet surprise; clearly not an ordinary protocol droid. "Observation: It would at least be more direct and efficient. Statement: It is what I would do."

"Of course it's what _you_ would do," the woman muttered, rolling her eyes.

I snorted. "I'll do as I please, and if watching these fools starve themselves amuses me, that's what I'll do."

"Though," I said thoughtfully. "It is rather boring standing out here all day. I think I'll go for some dinner. They'll still be here in an hour or two, surely."

I smiled as the soldier cursed under his breath as I began the short journey back to Dreshdae. I suspected that the woman was going to try to talk some sense in to the idiots, but I doubt they would listen. They were, after all, idiots.

 

* * *

**_Two Days Ago – Race for Prestige_ **

* * *

"Greetings, prospective students. It appears we have a late entry. Who do you bring before me, Yuthura? A young human, bristling with the Force?"

I turn around to see who Uthar is referring to, and am not entirely surprised to see the woman with her droid and bodyguard from yesterday. She had managed to convince two of the men to abandon my 'test', which was rather a feat considering their stupidity. However, of the two left, one had succumbed to his fate and the other banthabrain was still standing there now as far as I knew.

"A human that has had some training, it seems, Master Uthar. Very promising, I think," Yuthura stood back as the Jedi stepped forward.

Rather high praise coming from Yuthura. I think she's decided who she is going to cheer for in this race for prestige.

"I met this one in the colony... unworthy, if you ask me," Lashowe scowled at the newcomer, but the woman returned it with a cool stare.

I suppressed my smile. So she had a run-in with Lashowe and came out on top; it would have been rather amusing to see that blond cantina rat taken down a notch.

"Promising? Hmph. That one's not worthy to lick spit off your shoes, master," Shaardan glared fiercely at the Jedi as well, and I shook my head, remaining silent.

Making enemies this early in the game isn't wise at all, but the woman clearly had spunk. Or she was just plain stupid; as were Lashowe and Shaardan for giving their unwanted opinions to Uthar. It's too bad he seemed in a rather jovial mood today, I would have enjoyed watching him shoot some lightning.

"That I'll judge for myself, thank you," Uthar frowned. "Tell me, human... what do you know of the ways of the Sith? What preconceptions has your mind been polluted with?"

I leaned forward with barely controlled interest; though I wouldn't admit it aloud, I certainly wanted to hear the young woman's answer.

"I don't know much about the Sith, to tell you the truth."

Well that would explain a lot, I smirked.

"An honest, if evasive, answer," Uthar smiled, but it certainly didn't give me any warm fuzzy feelings. "Allow me to speak of the deeper matters at hand. The Jedi equate the light with goodness and strength and the dark with weakness and evil. We, however, do not treat the Force as a burden. We treat it as a gift, a thing to be celebrated. We use it to acquire power over others... and why should we not? Because the Jedi say we should not? We are as the Force is meant to be. The Jedi would hide that from you... they would tell you the dark side is too quick, too easy, all so that they need never challenge the passions that lie within them. Joining with us means realising your true potential. Being what you were meant to be."

Uthar paused as he swept his piercing gaze over us, finally resting it on Lashowe. "What say you, Lashowe? Are you ready to learn the secrets of the dark side? Dare you?"

The schutta didn't miss a beat to suck up to her superiors. "I dare, Master Uthar! I am ready!"

"Brash and fiery, as expected. Turn that passion to your advantage, child," his gaze settled on me. "What of you, Mekel? Are you ready?"

"I am, Master. More than ready!"

"I sense much anger within you, young one. That is good. That will provide you power," I grin at the praise; yes, my anger has brought me far. "And Shaardan…what of you?"

"I am always ready!"

"I see. You had best gather your wits for the trial ahead, boy, or you will not last," I laughed softly at Uthar's words, scoring myself a hateful glare from Shaardan.

"And you, young human? Does this interest you? Are you ready to learn more of what I speak?" Uthar stared intensely at the woman, as did I.

Why I was becoming so drawn to her, I didn't understand.

"Yes, I am ready," she replied simply, meeting the Master's gaze without flinching.

"Are you? I can see into your heart, young human, and I see the dark kernel that is there. If it is ready to sprout remains to be seen."

I looked at the Jedi more closely after that; her looks were quite deceiving if what Uthar said was true. She wasn't a really attractive woman, but her features gave her the appearance of exotic origin, making her seem more seductive than beautiful. She looked more like a noble than a fallen Jedi, though she wore a drab unassuming tunic; but I suppose it takes all sorts to expand the Sith. I shook my head forcibly to clear my thoughts, realising Uthar had been speaking to us while I eyed up the newbie. I tried to catch up to what the Master was saying, angry at myself for beginning to fall in to the trap of being sidetracked by women.

"-who succeeds will be admitted to the academy as a full Sith. All others must wait until next year and try again... if you survive. My pupil, Yuthura, shall be your teacher and master while you attempt to prove yourselves. Heed her words," Uthar nodded at his apprentice, who stepped forward beside him.

"As Master Uthar said, none of you are true Sith _yet_. For that to occur, one of you must do enough of worth... gain enough prestige... to be selected. What is an act of worth? You must learn that for yourselves," the twi'lek's gaze lingered on the young woman, and I could see she was quietly scheming.

Not that I was really surprised; a change of guard so to speak wouldn't be entirely unwelcome. Master Uthar had been in charge here ever since his Master had disappeared, not that his disappearance hadn't been a bad thing. Way too crazy, even for the Sith, from what I had heard.

"Remember that you are competitors, here... fight for your destiny, or go home. If you wish to gain a lead over your competitors, the first of you to learn the Code of the Sith and tell me of it will be rewarded. The rest is for you to discover," Uthar grinned, baring every single one of his yellowing teeth. "Welcome to the dark side, my children... your one chance at true greatness lies here."

 

* * *

**_One Day Ago – Mutual Acquaintances_ **

* * *

I skimmed through the limited database I had access to. I had several leads to gain prestige but from what other students had told me, it seems I have more to worry about from Korriban's animal life than being backstabbed by an opponent. I wasn't even sure what a shryack was, but as I pulled up a holoimage of one, I decided it wasn't particularly good. Maybe I would give the shryack cave a miss, and focus on the tip I got about Tulak Hord's tomb. Apparently he had been buried with his battle gloves, which were rumoured to be extremely powerful. Bringing them to Uthar ought to get me plenty of prestige, but I couldn't just waltz in to the tomb unprepared. Dozens of other hopefuls had died doing exactly that. Maybe I should find one of the others to team up with. I laughed out loud at the thought. Shaardan and Lashowe would betray me in a heartbeat, and I didn't know the Jedi well enough to trust her. No, I will do it on my own, like I always have since Father-

"Mekel, right?"

I spun, startled, to face the young Jedi herself, minus her droid and bodyguard.

"That's right," I recovered. "And you are..?"

"How do you plan on getting prestige?"

I stared at her incredulously. "You think I would tell you? Have my brains started dribbling out of my nose, or something?"

"Well, it would be an improvement," she smirked as I blinked, not expecting her sass.

"Funny," I scowled. "Say that after I'm a full Sith and I'll ground your face into the dirt just for fun."

I turned my back on her and reached in to my footlocker to retrieve my lightsaber, clipping it to my belt as I turned back to my console. And she was still standing there.

"You hanging around, still? Don't you have your own plans?" I tossed over my shoulder as I began to trawl through the database again. "Not that they'll help you. I'm in for sure."

"I've got my own plans, yes. Maybe we can trade information?"

I turned to stare at her again, uncertainty seeping in to my thoughts. I couldn't trust her, could I?

"Heh, there's nothing you know that I could possibly want. Thanks anyhow," I replied, not altogether unkindly.

"Look at it this way then," the Jedi began, clearly not giving up. "Neither you nor I have got any prestige yet, and the other two have recited the Code to Uthar already. We can help each other without really hurting our own plans. What do you say?"

I sighed after a moment's thought; she had a point. "Hmph, I guess there's no harm in it. Word has it that Master Uthar gives big points for Sith artefacts that are brought back from the Valley."

The woman nodded thoughtfully. "I've heard of one in particular…Ajunta Pall's sword."

I snorted. "Good luck with that. Nobody has ever come out of his tomb alive, so I don't think you will be any different."

"So no chance of teaming up for it then?"

I rolled my eyes; she was certainly persistent. "Less than zero chance. You're on your own with that."

"Fair enough. Thanks anyway," she gave me a half wave as she left, heading out of the dormitories.

It was only after she was gone from my sight did I realise that she had neatly sidestepped my questioning of her name. Suddenly, a familiar face walking past briskly pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Dustil! Hey, wait up!"

Dustil was the only person in this Academy that I even remotely trusted, and now he rushed over to me, a strange expression gripping his features.

"Mekel, keep your voice down!" he glanced around furtively.

"Hey, what's the matter? You seem kind of-"

"Look, I can't hang around. I have to…uh…" Dustil stared at me intently. "I have to go. If you were smart, you'd do the same."

"Huh? What are you saying?" I goggled at him, confused.

"This…this place is bad news," he whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was listening; you could get killed for saying such things here. "I've…learnt things about…what they do here. What really goes on…and I don't like it. I can't stay here now after what I know."

"What do you know?" I asked, intrigued and a little afraid; Dustil was not a man who made rash decisions, whatever he knew must be big…and bad.

He shook his head. "Look, just…think about what you're doing here. Is it what you really want?"

"Do you know how long I've been trying to lose the title of 'Sith Hopeful', Dustil?" I ask, barely keeping the anger out of my voice. "Twice I've missed out. I know I have a real chance this year!"

"Mekel," he gazed at me sadly. "Just think about it ok? What does your heart want? What…what would your mother want?"

Anger took over, but I gained control just in time to stop myself from lashing out at Dustil. I knew how his mother had died, and he mine. He wasn't trying to provoke me, I knew.

"I know what my mother would want," he whispered, eyes closed, when I didn't respond. "And it's not this."

I didn't hear him walk away, I just looked up and he was gone. For good. I shook away the guilt before it had time to settle. Dustil was just spooked, I reasoned, it happens sometimes.

I had second thoughts when I first saw Uthar execute several children. They had been kidnapped from a village near the Jedi Enclave, from what I heard, but they refused to stray from the Jedi Code. Death by Lightning had quickly ensued and, admittedly, I had initially been shocked…scared.

But Uthar explained that it was necessary; they could have escaped and given away our location and any secrets they might have gleaned. He said that the Jedi, for all their peace-preaching, would do exactly the same.

You can't trust someone in your ranks who doesn't believe in your ideals, I told myself, pushing the memory of the children's screams away. But, as I began to gather provisions for my stint in the Valley for prestige, I couldn't banish the thought that drew up a strong similarity between Master Uthar and my long dead Father.

 

* * *

**_Present Day – A Turning Point_ **

* * *

I couldn't even muster the strength to scream as Lightning tore at my body. The pain was beyond torturous…I just wanted to die. I slumped to the dirty floor for what I hoped was the last time, as crackles of electricity coursed through my body still, causing me to twitch painfully long after the Lightning had stopped. I wished for death to stop the torture, and as footsteps drew up beside me, I knew it was only seconds away. I waited…and waited. Instead I heard Jorak speak.

"Ha ha ha! Another idiotic student has stumbled into my little web, eh? Well... the contact nerve toxin in the air should knock you out quickly enough!" I listened as Jorak's footsteps rushed away, to the place where I had succumbed to his toxin no doubt, to greet his next victim.

This was the opportune moment for me to escape, if I could even stand. Since I was more or less unable to move, utterly exhausted and slowly recovering from being on the verge of death, I was still sprawled on the floor when Jorak dragged someone else in to the inner tomb. I forced my eyes open, and my heart plummeted.

It hadn't been so long that I couldn't recognise fear for others when I felt it…and I felt it strongly now. I watched helplessly as the young Jedi struggled against the nerve toxin, trying to force her legs to support her weight. She certainly possessed strength to be able to fight the poison, but I could see it had weakened her immensely, as it had to me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the woman's companions. The droid looked as though he had been damaged and deactivated while the soldier was slumped beside it, unmoving. I knew the droid was only temporarily disabled and the man unconscious from the powerful nerve toxin. Jorak would dispatch them when the Jedi and I posed no threat, I was sure.

In such a dark place like Tulak's tomb, I could suddenly and clearly sense why the woman had felt strange to me when I first met her. She was like the brightest of lights in the impenetrable black…a true Jedi. I couldn't let her die here, at the hands of Jorak. He was so far beyond madness he didn't seem to feel what she was, and that shot fear to my heart like a dagger…she would fail his 'test' miserably. I tested my connection to the Force, but it was almost lost to me in my pain and weakness.

But I had to try.

"Welcome! This is the tomb of Sith Lord Tulak Hord, if you don't know. I've taken up residence here, for now... it's dusty and full of critters, but it's home," Jorak gestured around him as though giving a guest a tour.

"Who are you?" the woman managed to whisper, swaying dangerously on her feet.

"Ah, yes! Introductions of course!" Jorak clapped his hands together with a giggle. "I suppose it is time, isn't it? This other student here that I captured earlier you should know well enough. His name is Mekel. Say hello, Mekel."

The Jedi saw me for the first time, recognition sparking in her eyes. I tried to warn her, but my mouth wouldn't work.

"Uhhh... gurgh..." I closed my eyes in frustration.

"Poor lad. He's had a hard day," Jorak's voice was peppered with fake sympathy, making my blood boil with anger. "My name is Jorak Uln. I was once the head of the academy, so I'm sure you've heard of me hmmm?"

"Oh yes," the woman whispered softly. "The old hermit in hiding? Yes, I've been told about you."

I knew the woman had spunk, but that was just plain ridiculous. That Jorak didn't fry her then was a miracle.

"What? Old hermit?" the former Sith Master spluttered. "Can't that blasted Uthar teach a single thing right these days? Slander! That's what it is!"

"Anyhow," he scowled, clearly annoyed by the Jedi's remark. "I'd like to propose that we move onto the main event. You see, I'd like to discover if you've got the pluck of an old-fashioned Sith. Most of the drek Uthar has been passing through these days is so pathetic. Take young Mekel here... I already tested him. Didn't I, Mekel?"

I concentrated, trying to gather every inch of my strength. "Uhhhr... I... ohhh..."

I shook my head slightly, I hated feeling so helpless. _You can do this, Mekel. You don't really want to die here, and you can't let the Jedi die. Concentrate! Focus!_

"Yes, yes, you're welcome. You see, Mekel here has the cruel disposition of a Sith... but not the _gumption_ that I'm looking for," Jorak laughed heartily at my expense, breaking my weak focus easily as my anger bubbled.

"You're a madman!" the woman uttered angrily, but Jorak merely giggled manically.

"Ahhh, what's a little mental instability between tutor and pupil? What's important is that I'm here to better the Sith as a whole. It's a big job."

The Force was leaking back to me, very very slowly. I needed more time to gain the strength to purge myself and the woman from the toxin, time I didn't have.

"What if I refuse to play along?" the Jedi must have known the answer before the Sith Master replied.

"Well, forgive me for resorting to the cliché, but you would die, of course," the crazed man clapped his hands together again, the glee apparent in his voice. "So, then! This is how it goes: I'm going to pose a moral question to you. Get it right, and I torture Mekel. Get it wrong, and I torture you."

My eyes snapped open with panic. This is a different game he's playing; he didn't do this to me before. Well duh, I told myself silently, there was only one of us before. And what better way to prove your true character than by throwing another person's life in to the mix? Would she answer the questions correctly to save herself?

The thought made my stomach churn; not due to the thought of dying, but the notion that she might answer incorrectly to save me.

Me.

I wasn't worth the sacrifice. _A Jedi's life is sacrifice._ The thought surprised me. I remembered hearing it eleven years ago as Uthar tortured those children.

I'm not a Jedi, I knew. I couldn't use my life to free the woman anyway since Jorak was going to ask her the questions. An idea popped in to my mind immediately at this thought: Jorak was practically ignoring me. I could use that to my advantage.

"Mekel, here, is a bit weak... he probably won't be able to take much more punishment. Mind you... get too many wrong and you'll die yourself," Jorak looked positively ecstatic about the situation; either way, he would be satisfied. "I don't know what you think of Mekel. Maybe you don't like him. Maybe you think he deserves to be murdered. Well, here's your chance. Fair enough?"

Without waiting for an answer from the Jedi, he turned to me with a grin. "Well, then. Any last comments before we begin, Mekel?"

With a plan that had a chance of succeeding forming in my mind, I found a speck of strength where there was none before. "Uhhhnn... we can... both survive... attack him together!"

The woman stared at me, her face expressionless, and my heart thudded hard against my chest.

Had I read her wrong? Would she save herself? If she answered Jorak in a way that shared the torture between us, we could both live. I knew I wasn't really worth saving, and as Jorak began to speak again, the hope I had mustered slowly ebbed away.

"Now, now, dear lad. Do you really think your friend here will answer questions wrong just to spare little you, risking their own life?" Jorak chuckled, and I had to admit, he certainly had a point. "And how many correctly-answered questions before you die, hmmm? No, don't be silly... you had your chance, remember? On that note, let's begin!"

"Now, then. Your immediate superior amongst the Sith is an effective commander and a fine leader. He trusts you and you like him. You see an opportunity to kill him. What do you do?" Jorak waited patiently for the Jedi's answer.

She didn't reply immediately, but when she did, I almost cried with fear, anger and joy.

"I refuse to answer this."

Jorak tutted with a shake of his head. "Then I must assume you did not know the correct answer. Sad, really, that you would do this to yourself."

I watched with horror as he stretched out his fingers toward her and let loose a crackling storm of Force energy on her body. She didn't make a sound, and Jorak appeared rather displeased by this.

She stumbled unsteadily, but remained on her feet.

"And so we come to round two. You come across a group of humans who are threatened by dangerous animals. They plead for help, offering you a reward. What do you do?"

The Jedi repeated her previous answer, and I wanted to yell at her, to tell her it was more than okay if she shared the torture with me. But my weak connection to the Force had been broken fantastically, draining me of energy. I closed my eyes in concentration, managing to tune out Jorak's mocking voice, but not the Jedi's scream. Jorak laughed loudly, clearly pleased at the pain he was inflicting.

"Let's see... ah, yes. You discover an aspect of the Force that gives you great power. Do you share it and strengthen the Sith as a whole or keep it to yourself?"

"I refuse to answer this."

The following scream of pain threw me in to action.

I couldn't help if I couldn't tune out her shrieks to muster my energy, so with a great amount of guilt and admittedly relief, I knuckled down and pushed myself in to deep meditation, rendering myself deaf to my surroundings. I struggled to reconnect with the Force and after several moments of searching, I found a stream and pulled. Once it was tightly in my grasp, I pushed it through my body with practiced ease, energising myself completely.

I jerked my mind and body out of meditation, climbing to my feet quickly. Almost immediately my heart dropped as I heard the Jedi's last scream die away…I was too late. She lay on the ground, her limbs still twitching with electricity, and I fell to my knees in defeat. Jorak had his back to me and hadn't noticed my recovery, but as he spoke, hope surged through me once more.

"Now... this is odd. The test is over and you're both still alive. Well that's never happened before. Hmmm. What to do, what to do...I suppose this means you can go, Mekel. I'll just have to figure out what to do with our friend here. Run along now."

I was standing, arms outstretched and the Force at my fingertips, when Jorak finally turned to face me. His surprise might have been comical if I wasn't so angry.

"Or I could use the Force to free them! Seems you didn't think of that, old man!" I powered the Force from my body, directing it to the Jedi.

She was on her feet quickly, though clearly hurt and exhausted, plunging a medpack in to her leg even as she unclipped her lightsaber from her belt. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement from the droid and solider, and I realised that even now, the Jedi had used the power I gave her to heal and restore her companions.

Jorak was clearly not expecting this shift of control and edged away slightly. "What? Mutiny! Behave, students! I'll... that's it! Detention for all of you! Permanent detention!"

He activated a blood-red saber and advanced on the woman, however, was forced back by a volley of blaster bolts from her companions.

"Observation: This meatbag appears to be attempting to harm you, Master. Query: Permission to terminate?"

"A true Sith never dies!" Jorak yelled, and leapt toward the Jedi with apparent intent to skewer her.

"Permission granted!" she replied calmly, and even before she had finished her sentence, Jorak was dead from some extremely accurate blaster bolts from both the droid and the soldier.

I stared numbly at the dead body before us, and then at the Jedi, hardly believing I was alive and whole when barely minutes before, I was wishing for death. The droid stood at attention beside its Master, as did the man, who was watching me with unrestrained loathing. But the woman placed a calming hand on his arm, and, after glancing at her, his expression settled in to one I couldn't read. I looked at the Jedi, who smiled slightly at me.

"What do you know? I guess he wasn't a 'true Sith' after all," I grinned weakly, and it occurred to me suddenly that I certainly wasn't either.

"I can't believe that I'm alive," I stared at her in amazement. "You saved me... you could have easily just answered those questions and let me die."

The woman's small smile faded. "Nobody deserves to die like that. Nobody."

I nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing since I had experienced the situation firsthand. "Yeah, well... I see what you mean. I've never... I mean, I've never been on that side of the fence before. It makes you think."

After I spoke, I realised I was very wrong; I had been in those shoes before. When I was only a boy, Father used to come home drunk. If he got a hold of me or Mother, he would beat us. And I couldn't do anything. I was helpless. Avenging Mother hadn't given me peace or real satisfaction. It had made me waste my life, blinded by anger and grief. I knew I had been given the rare second chance, thanks to the Jedi.

"I'd be dead if you weren't... I mean, if you were a proper Sith. But you're not, are you?" she nodded after a moment's hesitation, and I smiled at her, knowing she had just placed a huge amount of trust in me. "Don't worry... I won't tell anyone."

"I'd appreciate that."

"Thanks, and good luck," the words slipped out without a second's thought.

When was the last time I had uttered my thanks to anyone before now? To my Mother, at least sixteen years ago, I thought with a shock. Too long. I turned to leave, but she was beside me with her hand on my arm, stopping me.

"It's never too late," the woman seemed to stare in to my heart with the intensity of her gaze. "This could be your chance to change, Mekel."

I dropped my eyes to my feet, the faith she had in me causing tears to build behind them threateningly. She believed in me.

"You mean... the light side? I've never thought about that. Can you... can you even go back?" I stared in to her face hopefully and she smiled with encouragement, but I shook my head sadly.

"I've done some... I mean, I've hurt a lot of people. I... I don't think the light side is for me. But... neither are the Sith. Maybe it's time for me to leave," she squeezed my arm in understanding, and I leaned down and kissed her lightly on the cheek as way of goodbye and thanks, surprising her as well as myself at the gesture.

Before I could leave, however, something niggled at my mind. "Who are you?"

She smiled sadly as she spoke. "I hardly know."

"Well, I know you're a Jedi…I can see it and feel it," she stared at the ground but nodded, and I knew that my words meant something to her.

I left the tomb with a smile, feeling lighter already with my decision to leave the Sith and just happy to be alive after all that had happened.

But as I stared out over the ruins in the Valley, I wondered what to do now. Telos, I thought suddenly. The Restoration Project.

Yes, I nodded, help mend what the Sith broke…that would be fitting, I think.


End file.
